Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-12-16
her A TONEMENT
KY ALIEN DrKE BAILil:.

ldis-mulsl1t Purh. ThiladelphM; Eight
ee,s Hu13ti1'etl and FortU-eight.
liz She bright sun of an autumn after
noon, yolil!s lnaidcns wonder, peace
Tally innocent, through iower-bordercd
maths. ma;rons weld them selves to en-
IoNahfe Idlencss, troops of well-drcssed
Fails and lasses, Whose appearance be-
talscn that cold winds of adversely
na.vcr chill their we'll protected forms,
Yorlp, hlitbe and merry, with ringing
shouts and laughter, tho whole atmos-
pisere seems filed with quiet and con-
aeAf
Through this happy, careless throng,
1tnnosicins but not unnoticed a woman,
not old 10 years, but aged in looks and
SIN, clad in .towdry Gnery, soilcd as
siysgointed muttcrings fall from her
earehcd lips.
Aud SlIis was Fai, mount Park; she
h AL heard of it often Jim had prom
Ssesi. time and again, to bring her here,
and now she had to come alone. May be
Him was here now, if she conld
onEy meet him, only see him
once more, everything might be
right yet. But no! Jim was not here,
she remembered now where he was
and who he was with. If she could
amt see him again, she would mark
hinl, she would tear him limb from
zImh The william, curse him! How
she loved him, and he-but never
mind How her cheek hurt; it was
there he gave her the cowardly blow
that laid her cold and senseless, when
she mad begged and prayed for one kind
word, only one kind word. and he had
struck her to his fect
This must be the country. 1t looked
like the country There we're trees,
and grass, and flowers like long ago.
She had been country girl once, long,
long ago. No, 1t couldn't lie so very
2ong, she was only IS last summer,
she was sure Of that, but it seemed SO
long, so very long, and it seemed long
since Jim struck her from him, but vet
the pain was keen where the blow had
fallen.
Water. Was that water? Why, yes,
shat must be the river; she remembered
now, the river. that was what she had
come for, out from tho sllms, and the
dirt and sin, to seek the pure air. and
the trees, and the grass, and the-thc
river! Maybe Jim would feel sorry
when he heard of it. She would do it
now, while she had mind to it; YES
she would, and then Jim might be
satisfied with his work Here goes
Who cares? The river! the river
She opens her eyes faces all abont
ner; voices speaking what she cannot
understand, sound in her ears her poor
garments are wet and more soiled than
ever, but she is quiet, calm. Her head
Us pillowed softly, tender hand
brushes the damp locks from off her
brow, and she looks upward.
Is this Heaven? Yes, it must be
how came she to get there? She
thought, but never mind. Is that an
angel bending over her and gazing with
fearful sympathy upon her? 1t must
be- she is so happy, SO happy.
4 strong. rough hand is laid upon
her shoulder
Come. get up! No drunken non
sense here" are the official words she
knows so we'll.
"Oh. don't" said the angel voice,
"the poor girl is so ill or mad don't he
$50 harsh with her!" cries the beautiful
being in whose arms the sin-ladened is
supported
ell .--drunk! the rough voice re.
plies.
~tNo, no!' murmurs the poor creature,
starving, heart-broke.
4 young man forces his way through
The crowd,
"Helen!" he cries, in reproachful
zones, what is this? Can not leave
son for moment, but you must indulge
in some romantic folly2
cob, Charles, this poor woman, she
tried to drown herself; she says she is
starving and heartbroken. Oh, why
are you so cruel?"
Come, Helen, enough of this: come
away"